


Becoming Parents

by runningash



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, F/M, Fluff, LadyNoir - Freeform, Parents, adrienette - Freeform, love square, not really any angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2020-10-11 13:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20547119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runningash/pseuds/runningash
Summary: Little stories about Adrien and Marinette becoming parents!





	1. Kittens and Little Ladies

Marinette and Adrien had revealed their superhero identities a year before graduating. Yes, Hawkmoth was still around, but he was becoming lazier and simply idiotic with his new akumas. The pair felt he was doing it for fun at this point, just to keep the banter going.

However, the reveal was private and sweet. Were they shocked that they danced around each other for years? Yes. But, they immediately felt comfortable as all the puzzle pieces of their life had fallen together. They went to dances, had dates, studied together. They even had late night rendezvous together. They were there for the bad times and good times. The two soon fell madly in love with one another. 

Once they were both established, they began to think about their future together. Marinette working with Gabriel. While Adrien kept his modeling career going, he loved to help Tom and Sabine in the bakery as much as possible. 

Soon, a ring came into play, blessings we’re happily given by an over the moon mother and father to a blonde man, head over heels in love with their daughter.

A romantic dinner at the Eiffel Tower, which didn’t go as planned, but we will talk about how he put a ring on it later. 

Vows were exchanged, promises were made. They were happily married. Everything would change after they had surpassed two years of marriage.

**Two weeks before she shared her news to Adrien- **

Marinette fumbles with the dishes as she waited patiently for her timer to go off. 

“Marinette calm down it’s going to be okay!” Tikki said drying off a plate. 

Marinette nodded turning off the water and drying her hands “I’m just glad Adriens busy today” she reached up putting the plates in the cabinet. “I wouldn’t want him to be disappointed if it’s not real” she sighed leaning her back against the counter, running her fingers through her hair. 

“I’m sure he wouldn’t be. He’d understand” Tikki frowned a bit watching her chosen begin to pace. 

“I know that, it’s just…” she throws her hands up in the air out of frustration “I know how Kong’s he’s wanted this and I don’t want to get his hopes up.” She moved to the living room beginning to tidy up, kill the last of the few minutes. 

“Everything’s going to work out just fine. If it doesn’t happen..” Tikki paused rubbing her small head “try again?” She giggled 

It brought a small laugh form marinette, “well yeah..” she blushed. She didn’t know why her Kwami and her had had these conversations before. She bent down under the table to grab the tv remote “how does this even end up here?” She reaches, but jumps hearing her phones alarm going off, hitting her head on the table “ow! “ she gets up rubbing the back of her head, going to turn off the alarm in her room. 

Tikki followed her close behind and gives Marinette a confused look when she stops before going into the room. “Marinette what’s wrong?” 

“I-I can’t do it.” She dropped her head into her hands “can you look for me?” She mumbled. 

Tikki patted her head and floated over to the counter

Marinette raised her head hearing nothing come from the room “Tikki??” She made her way in, looking around for the small red and black figure. 

She nodded coming around the doorway, smiling when her chosen squealed in excitement. 

  


**2 weeks in**

Marinette had planned for them to run patrol together that night instead of him and Carapace, she had big news to share that couldn’t wait.

“It’s been a while since we’ve just relaxed on the Eiffel Tower M’lady “ 

“Well Chaton, we usually save these kind of moments for special occasions” she bit her lip keeping her gaze at the sky, she could feel her heart race as she was gaining the courage to spill the beans. Rubbing her hands against her suit to get rid of the sweat. 

He glanced over at her raising an eyebrow “Really? So what’s the occasion bugaboo? Come to confess your love for me again?” He smirked at her, placing his hand on top of hers, caressing the side of her hand with his thumb. God I love her. 

She closed her eyes tight,_ it’s now or never marinette, just do it _. She thought, letting out the breath she had been holding, smirked a bit using as much of her Ladybug confidence as she could, then looked over at him. “Well not exactly...I have a surprise for you” she gave him a soft smile seeing the confused look on his face as he turned toward her. 

“ I think I’m in love with another kitten...“ she giggled watching his jaw drop “...or a little lady.” She mumbled, opened her yo-yo pulling out a small gift bag for him, she placed it in his lap sitting criss crossed in front of him.

His eyes went from upset to a little hopeful seeing the light pink and blue bag. He looked up to give her a curious glance, she bit her lip playing with the finger where her engagement ring and wedding band would be, but they disappeared when they transformed.

“Open it.” She moved some stray hairs in his face then booped his nose. 

He hesitated, taking in the colored bag and messing with the white tissue paper sticking out. Giving in, he opened it, tossing the tissue paper aside, pulling out a handmade Ladybug themed onesie, all white with tiny embroidered ladybugs. Along with the onesie was a small knitted Chat Noir themed hat, all black with small cat ears, and a small baton, exactly like his, even with the paw print on the backside of the hat. He pondered how long she’s been working on these, while she should could knit a normal sized hat in an hour, the tiny details had to have taken her days. 

Adrien felt his heart beat faster and faster as he ran his hands over the ladybugs and the electric green stitching on the small hat. He was smiling so big that his face was hurting, but it didn’t matter. Realization hitting him like when Plagg threw empty cheese cans at him.

“No way” he looked over at the bright blue eyes outlined by her red and black mask, smiling all giddy at him

“Yes”

“How long?”

“ I-I was late last week, I took a test, two lines—but it was so faint....Tikki convinced me and she was so sure, so I made an appointment.” She pulled her her fingers “I went today to the doctor and..” she reached into the gift bag pulling out a sheet of paper “It’s still really, REALLY early..but the blood work came back positive..” she bit her lip holding it out to him.

Chat took the paper from her hands, being cautious to not rip it due to his claws. He was holding back his tears but eventually let them fall as he read the confirmation on the paper. “Really?” He said breathless as he set the paper down in his lap picking up the hat again.

She cupped his face wiping his tears, letting hers fall as she let out a small laugh “Really Minou, we’re going to be parents!” She squealed throwing her arms around his neck.

“I’m going to be a father!!” He shouted, lifting her up in one fell swoop spinning her around, holding her tight. She giggled as he nuzzled his face in her neck setting her down. “And you’re going to be the most wonderful mom” he ran his hand up and down her back. Then his eyes went wide..

“Wait until your parents find out...an-and my Father?! Nino and Alya..” he ran his empty clawed hand through his hair, eyes going in every direction as he imagines all of their loved ones reactions. Then his attention going back to the onesie and hat in his other hand, the toothy grin hadn’t left his face since he saw the tiny outfit. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Marinette shaking her head vigorously. 

“ _ No _, it’s still early we can’t tell anyone. I shouldn’t have even told you yet..” She gave him a soft smile, cupping one side of his face. “But how could I keep this from you?? “ she smiled bigger as he placed his hand over hers. She knew how much Adrien valued family. And how long they’ve wanted to start a family together. 

“We will tell everyone, once you’re ready of course” he placed a soft kiss on her forehead

“Maybe after my first trimester we can “ she moved her hand to the back of his neck, playing with the short hair, since he’d cut it a while back. Old habits die hard I guess. 

He wrapped his arms around her small waist “So...should I call you Momabug? Momanette?” He smirked down at her, catching the small eye roll she did, but it was a loving one. She flicked the bell on his collar and chuckled

“ I think I prefer the nickname you gave me when we revealed ourselves. Remember? _ Buganette _ ...” she smiled thinking back when they were 17 and had no idea that their life would lead them here. “...but maybe I might be calling someone else _ Mon Minou _ soon enough..” she giggled running a finger down his sharp jawline to his chin. 

Chat bent down to be face to face with her stomach , he placed his hand lightly on her right hip to help balance himself “ I see we’re starting the challenges early on then aren’t we?” He rested his forehead on her, “ challenge accepted my little lady or lad “ 

They cut patrol short that night to go back home and celebrate. Both were ecstatic, over the moon, soon their small family of two would become three. 

But, it wouldn’t be smooth sailing the entire ride. Marinette didn’t realize how difficult being ladybug and being pregnant would be.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to @gryffindorcls on tumblr! She’s an amazing writer, please check her out! 
> 
> Let me know what you think! 
> 
> My tumblr- @flashflashitsash


	2. Moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh thanks so much for all the love this is getting so far! It means a lot! 
> 
> One thing I want to clear up before I continue posting chapters—this isn’t going to be following a strict plot line. While some chapters will be longer, some shorter and some will be split into two parts or tie together. It’s like small snippets of the journey to their first child.

**3 weeks in **

When Adrien and Marinette tied the knot, they had decided to move into her small apartment. It only had two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and small living room. They knew they were going to want more than one child, so it seemed fitting to move before their first bundle of joy came. 

Luckily, they found a bigger apartment. It had 4 bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, and a bigger living room. It was surprisingly close to Alya and Nino. Also, it was just a few streets away from Marinette's parents' house. They were happy to discover that the apartment was still within walking distance of the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Even Gabriel was only a six-minute car ride away (not that he’d come to visit). However, since Marinette worked for him, it was nice to not have to go far. 

  
  


Packing up everything was the easy part, but moving everything in? Not difficult...unless your husband is attempting to do all the lifting alone. 

“I’ll get it!” Adrien closed the door of the car making his way to Marinette, who was carrying a medium-sized box

She huffed turning around to face him. “Adrien, it's fine!”

“You shouldn’t be lifting heavy things !” He rushed to her side and tried to grab the box out of her hand while balancing the other two in his other arm.

“It’s a box of sheets, Kitty! I’m fine!”

The two played tug of war with the box before Marinette gave in.

“FINE!” She let go and the box.

Unfortunately, the utensils and other baking supplies that Adrien had in another box went flying. They scattered across the floor of their apartment.

“NOW LOOK!” she started to tear up and stomped her foot, “You ripped the box!”

Marinette pouted while looking at the mildly ripped tab from the box of sheets.

While a flabbergasted Adrien gestured to the mess on the floor. He could hear Plagg chuckling from inside his shirt. 

That’s when Alya and Nino (thankfully) arrived to help.

“Ummm...what happened here?” Alya chuckled, glancing down at the baking supplies 

Marinette looked at Adrien. Within seconds, her emotions changed causing her mouth to curl into a mischievous grin.

“He doesn’t want me carrying heavy things “ she smirked while ruffling his hair, “C’mon Alya! We can go start organizing and leave the lifting to the boys."

Marinette carried the box upstairs leaving Adrien alone with Nino to pick up the spoons and forks.

“Dude," Nino grabbed a box heading over to his best friend who was picking up everything that he spilled, “What’d you say to your dudette?” He laughed while patting Adrien's back. 

—

Adrien walked into the living room and set down the last box. He smiled while he dusted off his hands. He took a deep breath and admired the new walls and floors in the space he would now call his home.

Nino would be helping him tomorrow to move the larger furniture, but all the small things- plates, curtains, chairs, and photos- were all ready to be put into their places. 

Brushing the hair away from his face, he decided to walk around and look for Marinette. 

_ "She’s not in the kitchen..or our room...not in the office...,"  _ he thought to himself.

Just as he was going to call out for her, he stopped. He spotted her a few steps past the doorway of the room that was one room away from theirs. He smiled as he walked up behind her. Adrien snaked his arms around her waist and placed a quick peck on her cheek 

“Hey, Lovebug. Alya and Nino just left." He turned his head to see the faint pink on her cheeks. She wasn’t looking at him, and her eyes were darting all around the room.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

Her voice was full of excitement, “This is the room.”

Smiling, she lett her mind run wild. Marinette imagined how the room would be set up in only a few short months. The crib would be in the center of the room. The closet would be full of both homemade and boutique outfits. There would be a rocking chair in the corner. Finally, she imagined having a bookshelf against the wall filled with all different kinds of books. Adrien still had a large collection in his old room of varying genres. Some were the children’s books his mother read to him when he was younger. 

She giggled at the possibility of making a cat and ladybug themed mobile. However, her thoughts were cut short by Adrien, who started to sway them back and forth. 

“So this will be  _ her _ nursery?” He held her a little tighter, as he took in the potential of the empty room. 

She snorted in response. 

“What makes you so sure our baby is a  _ she _ ? Hmm?” She placed her hand over his and leaned her head against his shoulder. 

“Oh, this is definitely a room for a tiny princess," Adrien chuckled, resting his chin on top of her head, “But I'm game if you’d like to place a bet, M’lady.”

He smirked and gently squeezed her hips. 

She turned in his grip and smacked his arm playfully. “We are not betting on if our son is a boy or girl.“

“ HA! You think it’s a boy don’t you, Bugaboo?” He gave her a toothy grin while intertwining his fingers with hers. 

Marinette mentally facepalmed.

“No—I’m happy either way.” She folded her arms across her chest. “But I do think it’s going to be a boy." She mumbled the second half of her statement. 

“Then it’s a bet!" he smiled and gave her a peck on the nose. 

“Adrien Agreste, we are not betting on-“ she was interrupted by the sound of their phones going off.

“Saved by the bell!” Adrien smiled, pulling his phone out. He frowned upon reading the alert on his screen. 

“ Akuma!” they said simultaneously. 

Of course, Hawkmoth had decided to bless their afternoon with an Akuma victim. 

Why not? 

Marinette looked at her Kwami. “Tikki! SPOTS...“

“No.” Adrien declared.

Shocked, she turned to him. “Wait...what?”

“You are carrying  _ purr-ecious _ cargo, M’lady.” He kissed her cheek. “No way you’re putting our little  _ purr-incess _ in danger”

He backed up a bit and shouted, “Plagg, CLAWS OUT!” 

She scoffed as he transformed in front of her. “Kitty! I’m not even showing yet! We’ll be fine! He or she is in a sack of water, it won’t feel a thing!“ 

“ Marinette," Tikki chirped, zipping into the room, "Adrien has a point. You need to be more cautious now.”

Chat nodded “Three weeks in or three months in...I don’t want you two to get hurt.”

He attempted to give her a kiss, but she backed away from him.

"Spots on,” she grumbled, giving him a look. (And if looks could kill, he’d be a  _ dead _ kitty.)

“Let me enjoy the few months I have before I’m a watermelon with legs!” 

And with that, she went to go fight off the Akuma victim...with a grumpy Chat following in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter two!  
As always thank you to @gryffindorcls for betaing! She’s the best! Check her out! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! 
> 
> Also..I’m not sure if I want them to have a boy or girl first, I know the fandom canon is that they have a girl, but maybe I’ll be different? Who knows?


	3. Early Mornings

** 1 1/2 months in**

“Not again.” Marinette shot up from their bed and rushed into the bathroom.

Adrien sat up to check the time. It was only 4 a.m. 

_ "Right on schedule,"  _ his brain noted groggily.

Marinette had been waking up at the same time each morning to hurl in the bathroom. She would also periodically get sick throughout the day. This depended on what she ate and if she was moving around a lot. 

"Turn off the lights," Plagg groaned from across the room on the tiny bed Marinette had made for him and Tikki. 

“Hush you black cat!" Tikki swatted the back of Plagg's head. 

”Ow! Sorry, Sugarcube.” He once again snuggled against Tikki and fell back asleep. 

Adrien got up, grabbed a water bottle from his side of the bed, and shuffled into the bathroom.

“How are you feeling?” He crouched down beside her, held up her hair, and brushed a few loose strands behind her ears.

“I feel like I’ve got to puke again," she groaned while holding her stomach, “This sucks.” 

Adrien frowned. He felt bad knowing he couldn’t help her.

“Want some...," he was cut off by the sound of her hurling again. In an attempt to comfort his wife, he rubbed her back with his free hand. 

Marinette leaned back and looked over at him. “Minou, go back to sleep. I know you have an important photoshoot tomorrow.” 

“No, you’re more important, and you need support right now.” He gave her a soft smile and offered her the water bottle. “If you’re up, I’m up. “ 

She rinsed out her mouth and took a sip. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Marinette placed a hand on the back of his neck and played with his hair. He’d let it grow out a bit, but she knew that it was going to be cut short again in a few hours. For now, she took pleasure in the reminiscent gesture.

“I love you.” He leaned in to kiss her but was stopped by her fingers.

“Oh, no! I have grossness going on right now. Kiss me after I've brushed my teeth." She laughed and relaxed against the tub. 

The pair sat like that for an hour. (Well, Adrien sat while Marinette kept throwing up.) Soon, 5:30 a.m. rolled around, and Adrien's alarm went off. 

“Go, kitty. I’ll be fine," she smiled, weakly rubbing his knee. 

He moved closer. “I can postpone this...really.”

“Nope, this is important. I'll call you in a bit." she tied her hair into a messy bun and proceeded to shoo him out of the bathroom. "Go!”

“I love you, and I'll be back soon...hopefully." He kissed her forehead and left the room. 

-

Marinette decided to sit on the balcony in an attempt to have the breeze ease her nausea. Suddenly, she heard a familiar chirping voice call from inside.

“Hey, girl! Adrien called and told me you had a stomach bug. So, here I am with some movies and soup!” Alya smiled and walked into the kitchen, grabbings bowls for the soup. 

Marinette rushed past her to grab the sketchbook she’d left laying on the table.

“Um...was that what I think it was?” Alya raised an eyebrow. 

“What???” Marinette launched her sketchbook into her bedroom and closed the door. 

"Is Gabriel extending his line to kids?!” she laughed, 

"That...that is shocking." 

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that she had been using her Gabriel brand sketchbook today. 

"Yeah, pretty wild, huh? I’m not sure if he’s going to actually go through with it." She walked to the cabinet and grabbed two cups for them.

“I liked the orange dress for sure.” She winked at her best friend who was turning red. “Maybe once Nino and I have a munchkin, you could design the baby's clothes."

Alya laughed and brought the bowls into the living room.

“Haha! Yeah, definitely!” Marinette was mentally face-palming.

_ "No more leaving your sketchbook out,"  _ she thought, making a mental note to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to @gryffindorcls for betaing! She’s the best! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! :D 
> 
> Short chapter, I promise the next ones are longer!


	4. Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @gryffindorcls is the best. Literal BEST. 
> 
> I’m really excited for the next chapters to come. I had the most fun writing those and the beginning of this one. 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!

Adrien was stumped in the ice cream aisle of the store. 

“Kid, c’mon pick something already so we can go get cheese,” Plagg whined as he peeked out of Adrien's shirt. 

“We’ve got your cheese, Plagg, but I’m stuck. They don’t have her favorite flavor!” He made a sweeping gesture towards the endless rows of ice tubs.

“Why pigtails likes strawberry instead of blue cheese, I’ll never understand." Plagg stuck his tongue out. “Just get vanilla and fresh strawberries.”

He frowned. “But it’s movie night, plus ice cream is one of the few things she’s able to keep down right now.” 

Adrien leaned further into the fridge. He moved the cartons around in an attempt to find a pink tub.

“Cute butt!” exclaimed a voice behind him.

He jumped and hit his head on the shelf above him.

“Excuse me?" He rubbed his head and turned around.

His expression softened upon seeing a white blouse with pink cherry blossom flowers on the cuffs and collar. 

_ Marinette _ .

“Funny seeing you here,  _ Chaton. _ ” She giggled and held up her basket holding his favorite ice cream and a tiny tub for Plagg. “I guess we had the same thought for dessert tonight.” 

“Great minds think alike?” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “ I just can’t find the strawberry tubs." 

He frowned and looked down. This elicited another giggle from Marinette. She removed Adrien's ice cream from the basket to reveal a pink tub. 

“I grabbed the last one...sorry." She reached up and rubbed the bump his head. “I appreciate you looking so hard though." 

She pecked his nose, and Adrien could feel his face turn red. 

He looked around the aisle to make sure it clear. “I grabbed Tikki cookies and cream.” He held up the tiny carton and Tikki zoomed out of Marinette's purse and hugged Adrien's cheek. 

“You’re the best!” squeaked the tiny red being. 

Adrien smiled and rubbed the top of her head with his finger

“Hey, you’re the one that told me to get Plagg the blue cheese instead of getting yours!" Marinette pouted and held up the tiny carton she'd picked out for his Kwami. 

Plagg shot out of Adrien's sweater. “She’s my new favorite!” 

He perched himself on her shoulder. Marinette smiled and scratched Plagg behind his ear with her finger. The black Kwami closed his eyes and purred contentedly. 

“I guess our Kwamis have swapped!" he grinned, grabbing Marinette's hand.

“No more big ideas. We already did that once, and Fu chewed our butts," she chuckled, swinging their hands lightly as they made their way to the check-out. 

“But it was so fun!" He gave her kitten eyes and pouted.

“I’ll think about it." She kissed his cheek. “Now should we rent a movie or rewatch one that we have at home?”


	5. Cats out of the Bag part 1

**2 months and 3 weeks in **

Sadly, Ivan had been Akumatized...again. His office job was stressful, and he always got a little too upset at work. Hawkmoth took it as an opportunity to annoy the living daylights out of Ladybug and Chat Noir. At least that was their theory at the moment. (Maybe he was doing it just remind them where they all started. Either way, Hawkmoth's antics were getting old.)

“It's always during my lunch break!” Ladybug huffed as she took another bite of her sandwich. 

Chat ruffled his hair in an attempt to get some of the flour from the bakery out. “M’lady, go sit down. Please. I don’t want you to choke." 

“I’m fine, kitty. I’m just...hungry." She pouted and tapped her foot to keep herself from crying.

Chat hesitated. Lately, Marinette had been rather...moody. He assumed it was her hormones going all out of whack. He also considered that it might be the fashion show deadlines coming up. Either way, she was upset, and he knew he needed to do something.

“There’s no need to cry, honey bun.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. 

It had been a big,  _ BIG  _ mistake calling her "honey bun". 

“I’m not going to have time to eat my honey bun either!” She dropped her sandwich and looked up at Chat with tears brimming in her eyes. “Kwami on a cracker! I’m just so HUNGRY.” 

Yes, he  _ definitely  _ needed to do something.

“You know what? Just make sure Ivan doesn’t hurt anyone, and I’ll be  _ RIGHT _ back.” He patted a sobbing Marinette's shoulder and started to back away slowly. 

Once he was far enough he went running over to the building across the street. 

\- a few moments later - 

“Okay Bugaboo..." He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her with a red and black polka-dotted bag of chips in her hands.

She glanced over at him and attempted to smile with her mouth full. 

“Muant whom?” She held out the bag for him. 

“I’m...no it’s okay." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Here, eat these pastries. Finish your lunch. I’ll go get the Akumatized object and bring it to you! That way there’s no angry Ivan and no hangry Ladybug...deal?” 

As Marinette nodded her pigtails bobbed along with her. She was practically drooling looking into the box is desserts.

Chat let out a sigh of relief and cracked his knuckles. 

“Please let this just be a mood of the week," he pleaded as he pole vaulted towards Ivan. 

But...oh boy...had he been mistaken! 

Luckily for Adrien, it wasn’t just him who had to face the wrath of Marinette and her fluctuating hormones. 

-

Gabriel got up. He was finally fed up with the incessant dinging of the doorbell that came every 2 hours. He opened the door to see a smoothie delivery man. 

“Can I help you?” Gabriel moved his hands behind his back and glared at the young kid. 

The boy swallowed. “Delivery for..." 

Before he could finish, he was cut off by a small, squealing raven-haired girl.

“My smoothie!” Marinette ran up to the door and threw her cash into the young kid's hands. With a satisfied sigh, she took a big sip of her smoothie. 

Gabriel cast her a stunned look as he watched his daughter-in-law practically inhale half of the smoothie in less than thirty seconds. 

“Marinette, these hourly deliveries...” He closed the front door and faced her. 

“Hmm?” She looked up at him, stirring her strawberry milkshake.

“...they have to stop, we are far too busy for..." He stopped once again when noticed she was frowning at her cup and on the verge of tears. 

He cleared his throat in an attempt to begin again, but Marinette beat him to it. She tearfully looked up at her father-in-law.

“T-They forgot the fresh strawberry.” Her voice trailed off as she wiped her face.

He had  _ never _ seen Marinette this unprofessional at work. While she was goofy, she was always "strictly business" during working hours. So, this behavior was odd, but this was his son's wife. She was family, so he wasn’t as harsh as he would’ve been had it been any other employee. 

However, didn’t exactly know how to console a grown woman so upset from a single strawberry. His mouth gaped while he struggled to find words. 

“I will...um..." he caught sight of Natalie. He gave her a look, and she quickly over. “Natalie will order you some strawberries! Just please don’t cry anymore. We have important deadlines to mee-" 

He jumped when Marinette handed him a folder. 

“I finished everything an hour ago. I was just checking the final changes on the outfits, and then these idiots forgot my strawberry!” She pouted moving her bangs from her face. 

“I see.” He paused, looking over at Natalie with a pleading look for her to help him. She gave him a shrug and appeared to be equally as confused. 

Gabriel sighed and fixed his glasses. “ Marinette, how about you take the rest of the day off and get yourself...no...um...reorganize yourself for tomorrow? We have to set up our visits with venues and set an appointment with your Father for us to taste the desserts."

Marinette squealed.

“The dessert tasting is  _ next  _ week?!?” She beamed and looked up at him. 

“Yes. I’ll be expecting you in my office at lunch. Adrien will be waiting for us at the bakery with your parents.” Gabriel nodded and took the chance to escape. He was completely puzzled by the encounter. 

—

  
  


Marinette decided to walk from Gabriel’s mansion to the bakery. The cool night breeze felt nice, and it was good for her to exercise after sitting for most of the day. 

“Marinette where are we going?” Tikki popped out of Marinette's purse.

“To the bakery! We’re going to tell mama and papa tonight.” She smiled and picked up her Kwami in her hand. 

“What about Adrien's dad?” 

She sighed. “Adrien doesn’t want to tell him yet, he says his father won’t believe it until he can...well," she gestured to her abdomen “until he can see it."

“Everything will be fine! I’m sure of it!” Tikki flew up and hugged Marinette's cheek, causing her holder to giggle. 

“Tikki hide!” She opened her bag as they neared the bakery. 

She walked in to see her other half in the front of the store with a mop in his hands. “Heeyyyy!" She yelped as she slipped on the floor. 

Marinette braced herself for the impact, but then two hands grabbed at her forearms. 

“You really need to be more careful, bug,” he smiled, pulling her up and lifting her onto to the dry side of the floor. 

She blushed and set her bags down on the counter. “Sorry I didn’t realize you were mopping.”

“Hi, honey!” Sabine called, walking out to the front of the store.

“Maman!” She smiled and embraced her mom.

“We can finish later, Adrien, let’s go have a snack.” Sabine smiled and lead everyone upstairs.

-

After their video games and snacks session, Adrien and Marinette went to the kitchen to set up for the baby reveal.

“Okay, you guys can come into the kitchen now!” Marinette called out to her parents. 

She then stood next to Adrien who was ready to take a picture of their faces. 

“What are we supposed to be looking at?” Tom questioned, scratching the top of his head. 

“Open the oven!” Marinette gestured to it in excitement. 

Her father walked over, opened the oven door, and pulled out the baking sheet that was resting on the rack.

“You made bread?” He looked at his daughter in confusion.

“No...well...yes, I did Papa, but Adrien and I...” She smiled and pointed to the bread in the oven hoping they would get it. 

Sabine gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my goodness!” Wiping a few tears. 

She walked over to Marinette and hugged her. 

“I still don't understand.” Her father picked up the bread and broke it in half. “There’s nothing inside.” He then took a bite 

“Honey, it tastes very good.” 

“Papa...you love puns and jokes. How are you not getting this!” She groaned and placed her hand on her forehead. 

Sabine laughed along with Adrien who was recording the encounter on his phone. 

“Papa, the bread was  _ IN  _ the oven. Do you know what expression is along those same lines?” She smiled hopefully at him.

“Bun in the oven?” he questioned. 

“Yes!!” She squealed but paused when he still looked at her with a confused expression. “Okay, follow me. I have a...” 

She pointed, signaling for him to finish the line 

“...bread loaf?” 

She groaned, and her mother patted her shoulder. 

“Tom, Marinette has a bun in the oven." Sabine smiled as Marinette drove the point home by pointing to her stomach. 

“A bun in the...OH!" He dropped the bread in shock.

“I told you we should have gone with t-shirts!” Adrien joked behind her.

Marinette bumped his arm playfully in return. She then felt her father pull them both into a hug.

“I’m going to be a grandpa!” he smiled, squeezing them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii! Getting to the good stuff now! Also thanks for all the love and comments! Makes me feel really happy :D 
> 
> Thanks to @gryffindorcls. She’s the best. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun with this part! I hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know what you think!


	6. Cats out of the Bag pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I’m so sorry I haven’t updated.  
But here’s a new chapter!

Gabriel and Marinette slowly made their way to the Dupain-Cheng bakery to taste what would be in the final dessert menu for the fashion show. Ever since the Dupain-Chengs had catered one of Gabriel’s private parties, he'd been a loyal customer. Also, having family connections helped. They promote him, and he promotes them. It’s a happy balance that everyone enjoyed. 

As the car pulled up, Marinette watched as Adrien came outside and opened the door for her. 

“Hello, my love," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. 

As she moved away from him, Marinette gave Adrien a weak smile. She squeezed his arm reassuringly as he gave her a worried look. 

She’d had a rough morning with all the driving they did going from venue to venue. It had made her feel nauseous and dizzy. 

She let out a sigh of relief as she looked down at her checklist and saw that this was their last stop. Marinette was also happy to see that they were scheduled to stay for the next two hours. Overly thankful they’d be sitting for a while, she walked past the Gorilla and thanked him for holding the door.

As she walked inside, she called out to her parents. “Maman! Papa!” 

Gabriel cleared his throat in an attempt to get his son's attention. 

“Adrien, I need to speak with you about Marinette's recently developed...habits.” Not wanting to anger his son, he twirled his thumbs trying to think of the right words. 

Gabriel did not want this conversation to damage the progress they had been making. They were still in the process of mending what had been broken, but they were getting there. 

“Oh, what is it, Father?” Adrien opened the door for him.

The older man took a deep breath. “Well, she’s been, ordering-"

“Hello, Gabriel! Always happy to see you!” Sabine walked up and pulled him into a hug. “Tom and I have made a large assortment of desserts that we think will be perfect!” 

She smiled and guided him to their backroom to begin the tasting. Gabriel would just have to try again later.

-

The dessert tasting was...interesting to say the least. 

Marinette ate two of everything.

Everything. 

Even her parents were a bit shocked. They’d never seen their small, petite daughter eat so much in one sitting. 

Gabriel shot Adrien a look and leaned over to whisper to him. “This is what I mean. She’s been ordering strange foods and smoothies every other hour at work. It’s not like her. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her eat anything other than a salad at work." 

Gabriel sat back against his chair as he watched Tom bring out the last plate. 

“These are the wine-infused mini cakes,” Tom smiled as he set them down on the table, but he then frowned as he placed a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. “Oh, sorry, Marinette. I’ll bring you some of the leftover ones that we didn’t put alcohol in.” 

The young woman smiled as her father patted her shoulder. Marinette placed a hand on Adrien's thigh and squeezed his knee as she heard the distinct clink of silverware dropping onto porcelain to her left.

"Shit," she thought as Gabriel set his fork down. 

“Nonsense, if the guests don’t see one of my head designers enjoying herself then they won’t be having fun either. Also, I know for a fact it’s your favorite wine,” Gabriel announced, crossing his arms 

“Sir...Gabriel, I um..of course, it is, but...” Her breath hitched when her father cut her off. 

“She's Expecting! She can’t be drinking!” Tom laughed, squeezing her and Adrien's shoulders 

The young couple both turned to look at each other.

“Cats out of the bag?” Adrien whispered as Marinette let out a large sigh.

“Papa, can I talk with you in the back for a moment?” She gave her father a smile as she got up and pulled him into the back room. 

Before disappearing around the entranceway, she turned back and gave Adrien an apologetic look. Unfortunately, he was now going to be the bearer of the news...alone. Adrien turned to his father who was already glaring at him. 

Gabriel crossed his arms. “Expecting? Care to explain, Adrien?”

“Well, Father,” he gulped, wishing he could down the rest of his drink. “Marinette and I are expecting our first child...” He trailed off as his father fixed his glasses. 

Radio silence. 

To Adrien, it felt like time stopped waiting for his father to say...well anything. While, yes, he was a man of few words, he always had an opinion. He knew his father would definitely want to have a say in this. After all, it was his first grandchild. 

The thought of his father not approving shook Adrien to his core. At the same time, the thought of his father controlling every aspect of Marinette's pregnancy angered him. His father had already lorded over most of Adrien's teen years, but this wasn't his child. It was Adrien's.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as his father got up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“That is wonderful news. I am very happy for both of you." He gave Adrien a small, small smile. 

“Th-thank you, Father. It means a lot to hear you say that...really." Adrien stood up and put his hand out, ready to “celebrate” the news with his father. 

However, instead of shaking his hand, his father pulled him into a hug. Adrien gasped and hugged him back. He couldn’t remember the last time his father had given him a hug. He could feel the icy barriers between them melt even further into non-existence. 

“Oh, how sweet!" Sabine smiled as she walked back into the room with a to-go bag. 

“Mom!” Marinette whisper-shouted, “Let them have their moment.” 

She looked over at them and pulled out her phone to take a quick picture. 

Gabriel cleared his throat and broke away from the hug. “Marinette I will see you at work in the morning. Thank you Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng. Tomorrow, I’ll be sending you a list of what we will want for the menu." 

He nodded and patted Adrien's shoulder on his way out. 

He stopped at the door before crossing the threshold. “Oh, and congratulations to you both. I’m very excited to have a grandchild.” 

Gabriel then turned on his heel and left the bakery. 

“That was unexpected.” Marinette walked over to Adrien and put a hand on his back. 

“Yeah,” he said breathlessly, “Did that really happen?” 

Adrien turned to her and nearly laughed. His eyes were wide with shock and happiness,

She reached with one hand up and cupped the side of his face. Marinette smirked as a response to his contagious smile. “Yes. Yes, it did. “ 

—

“I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!” Marinette ran around the house while attempting to tuck her blouse into the new looser pencil skirt she’d recently purchased. 

“I’m sure my father will understand why, bug.” He zipped up her lunch bag and held it out for her to take. 

“Uh...no, he won’t." She ran past him but returned to grab the lunch bag while shooting him a sweet smile. “He may be the grandfather of our child, but work is work...you know, strictly business. I have to be a role model for others.” 

She huffed as sat down on the couch to put her heels on. 

“I hate our uniform policy,” she grumbled.

“Eh...I'm not sure, Bugaboo. I think he’s starting to come around. I mean, he gave me a hug last night!' he grinned, grabbing her other work bags for her. 

She smiled as she got up, headed towards the door, and grabbed her keys from him. “I saw that, kitty. Maybe you’re right.” She gave him a quick peck before grabbing her bags. "Now I really have to go. I love you! See you later? We have to go talk to HR.”

“Yes, I know! Please be careful running in those shoes!” He laughed as she went down the front stairs and onto the street. 

—

Marinette landed in her office with a thud as she let all her bags fall out of her hands. 

“Ugh, Tikki, I feel so tired,” she said as she opened her purse so her kwami could roam around. 

Tikki giggled as she placed herself in her hidden spot on Marinette's desk. “Well, you are growing a tiny human!” 

She pulled off her blazer and set it aside as she moved to the stack of papers in her inbox. “Who knew it’d be this exhausting? People say you should be glowing! Or overjoyed! Which I am, but sheesh kid.” She poked at her belly button. “Cut me some slack!" 

She was cut off by a knock at the door and a familiar voice. 

“Marinette? M. Gabriel wishes to see you before you go see HR today.” Marinette opened the door and saw Natalie standing there with her tablet in hand and a coffee. 

“Did he mention why?” She asked, gazing at Natalie’s coffee.

The assistant shook her head. “No, he did not.” 

"Oh," Marinette said, still staring at the cup in Nathalie's hand.

“Would you like it?” The woman asked, raising an eyebrow

Marinette sighed and took a deep breath getting a big whiff of the black coffee. 

“Dark roast black coffee,” she whispered, moving closer to the cup before backing away and shaking her head, “Oh sorry! I wish...but no thank you. I can’t...I mean! I already have one. Umm...thank you for telling me. Will you let him know I’ll be there about 20 minutes before I head over to HR?” 

“Yes of course.” Nathalie moved closer and placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. “Congrats by the way,” she whispered, giving Marinette a small smile

“H-how did you?” Her eyes were wide in shock.

Natalie gazed around the hallway to make sure it was clear. “I was there when Emilie went through her pregnancy with Adrien. She would always smell my coffee like you did, and she always knew what kind I used which day." She suppressed the smile tugging at the edge of her lips. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Marinette placed a hand on Natalie’s forearm “Thank you.” 

She shot the assistant a smile before slipping back into her office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr! @flashflashitsash


	7. Flashbacks

** 3 Months In (Part 1) **

Marinette stood beaming in front of the mirror. She had just finished her dress for the announcement dinner she’d planned for their close friends. It was light grey with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice was fitted, but it became flowy as it got closer to her waist. And of course, she had matching hair ribbons. Tonight she would be proudly showing off her growing bump.

She'd invited everyone close to them. The guest list included Alya, Nino, Chloe, and several other friends they’d kept in contact with over the years. (This group mainly consisted of those who held a miraculous.)

“I can’t believe today’s the day!” Marinette giggled, looking back at Adrien.

He snuck up behind her, snaked his arms around her waist, placed a hand on her small bump, and caressed it lightly with his thumb. 

“I know! All three of us have been trying to hide from everyone for a few weeks now." He kissed her cheek and looked down at her dress. “You’re going to look beautiful." 

She blushed at his compliment. 

“I haven’t even told Alya! She’s going to freak!" she giggled, jumping on her toes in his embrace.

“Wow, I’m impressed." He smiled at his wife. “To be honest, I always thought you’d tell her before me." He chuckled. 

“Oh, Minou, I love Alya, but I’d never do that to you. I know how much we both wanted a family, especially you.” She stood on her tip-toes and allowed their noses touch.

He squeezed his eyes shut to keep tears from falling. “I love you so much.“

“I love you, too, but it’s been hard to keep this from her.” Marinette bit her lip and set down her dress.

“Alya knows when anything is slightly off with me. Especially lately now that I'm wearing bigger shirts and flowy skirts. She's used to seeing me in pencil skirts.” She huffed and scrunched her nose. “They don’t fit anymore, and when we go shopping, I keep refusing to share a dressing room with her. I have no doubt that she’s either figured it out and hasn’t said anything yet or that she’s suspicious."

She took a seat and chuckled.

“OH! And let’s not forget the fact that I've been avoiding restaurants that serve alcohol!” Marinette threw her hands in the air. “That's been a nightmare. Alya loves her wine.” 

Adrien laughed as he squatted down to her level. “I am almost certain that if Alya found out you were expecting, she’d either say something or she’d come over the next day demanding an “Auntie Alya” t-shirt.” 

Marinette laughed and batted the hair away from her face. “Good thing I've already made it then, huh?” She got up, walked over to her trunk, and pulled out the pale red shirt. 

“You never cease to amaze me, you know that?” He got up and walked over to her. "She’s going to be ecstatic." 

“I hope so, but if she cries then I’m going to cry,” she sniffed, trying to keep tears from falling. 

“How lucky are we to have so many people who love and support us ?” he beamed, cupping her face with his hands. 

He rested his forehead on hers, pondering how not so long ago, he felt alone, trapped, and hopeless. He thought he’d end up alone. While he knew his father would be there, it would have just been a cold face to see every day. 

Then Plagg showed up, along with Alya and Nino. And of course, he'd met his Lady, his Marinette. It was then that he discovered that he could be happy. 

He thought back on how everyone he cared for pitched in on the day he proposed. It was perfectly imperfect.

***flashback* **

Adrien fiddled with his fingers as he waited outside the jewelry store. 

“I can’t believe I’m gonna do this". He bit his lip and looked down the sidewalk before using his phone to double-check with Nino that Alya was still coming. 

“Kid, she loves you, and you love her. Everyone has been waiting for this moment." Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's coat and looked up at him with an annoyed expression. 

“Ugh, Plagg!" Before he could make a snarky comment back, a finger tapped his shoulder, causing him to pause.

“Hey there, Goldilocks!" a familiar voice said behind him.

He let out a sigh of relief. “Hey, Alya!”

“What's up? You said we needed to go shopping?" She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Yes, and I need us to do this in less than two hours because I told Marinette's parents that I needed to talk with them and then I need to go speak with my father and..." He stopped when Alya squealed.

“YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE!?!” 

“SHHH! But yes...wait, how’d you know?” His head fell, hoping it wasn’t obvious to Marinette. 

“You're going to speak with her parents, and you never talk to your Father unless you have to. Plus you're inviting me and _only me_ to shop?" She smiled and patted his shoulder, understanding his distress.

“Don’t worry about Marinette. Your dad has her on a witch hunt for a certain kind of fabric. She’s checked out until she finds it." Alya laughed as his face un-scrunched.

“Thank God! Well not that she’s stressed but that she won’t catch on." He let out a deep breath. “So, what I had made for her has...” He opened the door and continued blabbing as they stepped into the jewelry store. 

-

Tom and Sabine turned when they heard the bakery bell ding. 

“Hi, Son!” Marinette's father called from the back end of the store.

“Hello, M. Dupain!” Adrien smiled as he bent over to give Sabine a hug.

“Hello, dear, how are you? You sounded stressed on the phone this morning,” she smiled, patting his back. 

“Maybe we could talk upstairs?” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

They closed the bakery for a little while. Lunch had just ended, so things were slow. They went to the living room, and they all sat down. Adrien bit his lip and felt his stomach turn. 

“Alright, what did you want to talk to us about?” Tom smiled and placed an arm around Sabine. 

“I-I...well, you both know Marinette and I have been together for a very long time now? It's been almost 7 years to be exact. We both love each other so much, and I care about her more than you can imagine...” He trailed off, realizing he was about to start babbling. He took a deep breath reaching into his pocket pulling out a small black box. “We both are very secure in our jobs now and well...I was hoping you’d give me your blessing to ask Marinette to marry me?”

He unveiled the small box in his hands. Sabine gasped and wiped a stray tear from her face.

Tom pulled Adrien into a bone-crushing hug. “Of course, you do, son!“

“Tom, put the boy down!” Sabine placed a hand on Tom's back as he set Adrien down.

“Thank you both..." He was cut off by his phone ringing. “ I-I have to go meet my father. I’ll be back to help with evening orders!” 

Adrien ran towards the exit and waved before walking out the door.

“Don’t worry about it, son! Go make my daughter's night!" Tom called out, smiling and wrapping an arm around Sabine. “Our little girl is going to get married.” He sniffed, and Sabine wiped away a stray tear. 

-

“Natalie, is Adrien here yet? “ Gabriel stepped out of his office and looked down at her. 

“No, sir. He called and said he would be here in a moment.” She went back to fiddling with her tablet. 

“Ugh, always late-"

“I’m here!” He chimed, rushing through the front doors.

“Quickly, Adrien, I’m very busy." Gabriel turned and walked back into his office, Adrien following in tow. 

“Yes, Father. I’m sorry I’m late. I just came from the bakery, and..."

“Ahh, your girlfriend's family bakery, yes?” 

Adrien nodded. He began to rub his arm and sway back and forth. He began to wonder if he should sit down. 

“What have you come to tell me? Also, sit down. All your fidgeting is going to make me feel dizzy" Gabriel gestured to the chair in front of his desk. 

Adrien sat reluctantly and bounced his leg. “Well, Father, you know I’ve been with Marinette for a while now, and I-I know she’s an employee, but I don’t want this to change anything..."

“Adrien, you’re already dating her, and you’ve been dating her for years might I add. It hasn’t been a conflict of interest for a long time. It wasn't a problem when she applied for her position, and it's not an issue now." He fixed his glasses and leaned back in his big chair. 

“Right..um, well I plan on proposing tonight..to...her." He hadn’t dared to meet his father's eyes yet. He was still worried that he'd say no. 

“That’s wonderful."

Adrien looked up, shocked “What?” 

“I said, that's wonderful, Adrien. I’m happy you’ve found someone you love and care about. I see the way you both look at one another. It reminds me of when your mother and I were young.” 

For the first time in years, Adrien saw his father smile. “She loves you, no doubt." 

Gabriel stood up, walked around his desk, and faced Adrien. 

“I know this because every time I ask her to sketch up a male design, the male always happens to be you,” he teased, placing a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. 

Adrien blushed and stood, as well. “ Thank you, Father." 

Rather than their usual handshake, Adrien hugged his father. Gabriel simply patted his son's back in return. 

Gabriel looked back at the photo of his wife on his desk as Adrien pulled away and met his gaze. “I know we don’t speak of her often, but I know she’s very proud of you Adrien.” He paused and once again moved behind his desk. “Now go. I have a wedding line to start thinking about.” 

At a loss for words, Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat. “T-thank you, Father! Goodbye!” 

On his way out of the room, Adrien bumped into a person carrying a pile of fabric. He quickly reached out and caught the woman

“I’m so sorry...hey, Lovebug!” He smiled when he realized it was Marinette. 

“Hey, you! Wait...why are you here?” She cast him a worried look while she bent down to pick up the fabric. “Did something happen? Is your dad firing me? I was hoping I’d get a spot as one of the head designers. Ugh, I’m going to have to move, and..."

“Don't worry! It was just a quick meeting about a new line my father wants to design," he reassured, helping her up. 

“A new line?! He didn’t tell me anything about that. What is it?” 

He hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. “Uhh...he didn’t exactly say what since he just thought of it. So don’t mention it yet.” 

He mentally face-palmed when he realized that he almost let the cat out of the bag. 

“Oh okay, we’re still going to dinner tonight right?” She smiled, moving loose strand from her bun to behind her ear. 

“Of course, M’lady.” He kissed her forehead. 

"Great! I finally found the fabric your father asked for.” She gestured to the mess of expensive limited silk in her hands.

“That's wonderful! I’ll let you get back to work. See you tonight!" He gave her a quick peck and left. 

-

Adrien made it to the Eiffel Tower in time to help get the table and roses set up. He'd rented a violinist and had reserved a private table. The space was dimly lit with candles and a small overhead light. 

“Alright, everything’s going perfectly!" 

He made his way to an alley and transformed. He needed to get back to Marinette's apartment quickly so he could change his clothes.

After he snuck through the window she'd left open for him, Adrien tried to locate all the pieces of his outfit. He groaned when he discovered that his tie was missing. 

“Plagg, did you take my tie again?” he huffed, looking up after checking under the bed. 

“No, I did not. I learned my lesson last time," Plagg whined.

“Last time you used it as your own personal table and napkin." Adrien got up and checked another drawer. 

“That was an accident." 

“Was it?”

Plagg chuckled, knowing it wasn’t an accident. He did it just to mess with Adrien before his model contract meetings. 

“FOUND IT!” Adrien exclaimed, pulling the tie out from under a pillow. 

“Found what?” 

He jumped upon hearing her voice. Then his jaw dropped when he saw her. 

She was wearing a black, fitted dress with long lace sleeves that started past her shoulders and ended at her wrists. She also wore a skinny red belt and heels to match. She traded her work bun for a high ponytail, and, of course, she had two red ribbons that tied the look together. 

“Do I look okay? I called Alya to help me pick out an outfit. I know you said fancy, but I wasn’t sure how fancy. And it’s not exactly warm out, so I wasn’t sure If should’ve worn pants or..." she was cut off by a pair of soft lips on hers.

Without hesitation, she smiled and kissed him back.

Adrien pulled back and allowed his lips to brush against hers while he spoke. “You look gorgeous. It’s perfect.” He pecked her lips one more time, his eyes never leaving hers. “Ready to go?” 

She giggled. “You have red lipstick on your lips.” 

Marinette smirked when she saw him turn red while she wiped the make-up off his lips. After she cleaned him up, they made their way to the restaurant. 

Once there, he covered her eyes with a cloth and lead her up to their private table. Unfortunately, their table wound up not being so private. To Adrien's surprise, the room had been filled with people. 

“We’re so sorry, M. Agreste. We will give you your wine free of charge. We’re over capacity downstairs." A man explained with panic lacing his voice. 

From this brief interaction, Adrien assumed that his father had made a scene before under similar circumstances. 

“It’s alright." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder to prove that it was okay. 

“Adrien? Can I open my eyes now?” She lifted the cloth a bit but still kept her eyes shut. 

“Yeah! Sorry." He removed the cloth and lead her over to their table...which was no longer dimly lit. (The candles had been taken away because having more people in the room meant that it was a fire hazard.) 

“I’m so sorry, Marinette. This is not what I had planned,” He sighed, letting his head fall. 

She squeezed his hand.

“It’s perfect,” she smiled, walking over to the table and plucking a rose from the only small bouquet that was left. “I love the roses.” She cupped his cheek, making him meet her eyes. “All I need for a perfect date night is you, Chaton."

He stared into her eyes. They were just so mesmerizingly blue. It was easy to get lost in them. 

“I’m sorry. It was just a bit of a shock to see everything I set up suddenly looking different." He walked over to the table and pulled out her chair for her. 

She sat down then looked up at him. “Well, I think it’s perfect."

Marinette then grabbed the menu and pondered what to get. 

-

Soon, they had finished their plates and were waiting for dessert.

“Well, I’d like to make a small toast.” He lifted his wineglass towards her.

She gave him a small smile and searched his face. 

Lifting her glass towards him, she asked curiously, “What are we celebrating?”

Before he could respond, they heard a commotion coming from the kitchen. 

“Oh please, for the love of God,” Adrien grumbled. 

He was starting to think that maybe he should get down on one knee sooner rather than later. 

The black butterfly that flew over their heads beat him to it. 

“Duty calls, Kitty,” she sighed, pulling off her heels. 

“Hawkmoth has lousy timing." He loosened his tie while Marinette dragged him into the bathroom. 

-

They went back to Adrien's apartment after the fight. Because they had to recharge during the battle, they were exhausted. Apparently, the main chef had been accused of sabotaging someone’s meal, and he'd gotten (understandably) upset. 

“I’m so tired that I might just fall asleep in the shower," Marinette huffed, shuffling over to the two drawers filled with extra clothes for when she stayed over at Adrien's. 

“Ugh, no kidding. Look at the bruises.” Adrien turned, gesturing to the backside of his hip. 

She sighed and grabbed his hand. “We will get him one day. He’s getting weaker. I can feel it.” 

He brought her hand up to his lips. “I know we will. Now, get your butt into the shower, and I’ll make us some tea." 

He placed a kiss on her hand while simultaneously pulling the hair ribbons off of her ponytail. He smiled as he watched her hair fall down past her bare shoulders. 

“And to think I was going to ask for company," she giggled, unbuttoning his shirt, “but..tea also sounds really nice.” 

She bit her lip, letting go of his now unbuttoned shirt and trailing her fingertips down his bare chest. 

“Oh, but tea can wait.” He smirked and unzipped the back of her dress, letting his fingers graze her back ever so slightly and relishing in the goosebumps it gave her. 

“Nope! It can’t!” She laughed, holding up her dress, racing into his bathroom, and locking the door. 

He groaned. “M’lady, no teasing!” 

“Chamomile please!” She called from the other side of the door. 

-

Adrien walked out of the bathroom to find Marinette going through his closet. 

“What are ya looking for?” he laughed, drying off his hair. 

She jumped and held her towel closer to her chest. 

“A t-shirt. I don’t feel like wearing any of the PJs I have here." She blushed and looked away. 

He pulled on his pajama pants and tossed her the shirt he was going to wear. “This one's really soft." 

Catching it, she bounced on her toes and rubbed the soft fabric against her cheek. “Thank you, minou.” She let her towel fall and pulled on the shirt. Even though it was obviously too big, she liked it. She flopped on top of his bed and let out a muffled groan. “My body aches.” 

He laughed and picked up his suit pants. He felt the blood rush away from his face as he felt the small box that was still in his pocket. He frowned a bit when he realized that he didn’t get the chance to ask at the restaurant. 

“Are you okay?” She asked, making her way to the edge of the bed and grabbing his forearm gently. 

He turned to her and smiled. “Yes, I am. I’m sorry our date got cut short." 

He slid the box into his pajama pants and crawled into bed next to her. 

As she laid down on her side, she watched him do the same. He faced her and propped his head up with his elbow. 

“It’s okay. I had fun even though we were there for only a little while." She reached up and gently moved his hair out of his face. 

He felt goosebumps form under her touch. He couldn’t help but look at her. She was so beautiful that it was almost intoxicating. Adrien knew he had it bad. 

“I love you," he began, “I've loved you for years, and I love everything about you. Your smile, your laugh, and the way you stick your tongue out when you're focused on whatever you’re working on. I'm in love with the confidence you have with every step you take. I love the hope you have in any and every situation life throws at us, as both heroes and civilians. I love your eyes...god your eyes! I get lost in them at least twice a day. I love when you sneak up behind me just to hug me. I love your competitive side which I find wildly attractive and sexy. Marinette, I’m head over heels in love with you.” 

She felt the blood rushing to her face, and she was close to looking like a tomato. 

“A-Adrien...” She sat up next to him and watched in awe as he fumbled under the blankets. 

He stood up and pulled her with him. They stood in the dark while moonlight tried to creep in through the semi-open curtains. 

“I want to spend every day with you for the rest of my life," he blushed, feeling the butterflies in his stomach kick up his nerves. 

When he pulled out the small black box, he heard her gasp. He dropped down to one knee and grabbed her hands.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he smiled, looking up at her and placing a quick kiss on her knuckles, ”you make me feel like the happiest and luckiest man on earth every day, and I want to make you feel the same every day until I die.” He sniffed and did his best to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat. “Will you marry me?” He opened the box, showcasing the ring.

Marinette felt the tears roll down her face, each tear racing to see who would make it down first. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked down at the incredible man professing his love to her. The man who was asking her to marry him. 

“ Y-yes! Of course, Adrien!” she choked out.

Adrien let go of the breath he’d been holding in. He got to his feet as tears started rolling down his own cheeks.

“Ah, now I’m crying!" He wiped his face and slid the ring onto her finger. 

Marinette threw her arms around him and locked her lips with his. 

***flashback over* **

“Minou? Are you okay?” She reached up and wiped his face. “You’re crying." She frowned. 

He opened his eyes. “It’s just hitting me that I never thought I could this content with my life. I have the best friends, the best support system I could ask for, and an amazing, beautiful wife. Heck, even my father is starting to turn around. I was so...alone, and now I'm living the life I never thought would happen. Sometimes it feels like a dream. Well, if it is, I never want to wake up." He chuckled. “I’m so grateful for you.” He nuzzled his face into her neck. “I thank my lucky stars every day that you chose me to be with. And now we're starting a family, and it's even more incredible than I ever thought it could be.”

She pulled him into a hug, tears brimming her eyes. “Oh, Adrien...I love you so much.” 

Marinette squeezed him as much as she could while his grip tightened around her waist. 

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y’all! Hope you’re still here with me! Hope you enjoyed this!


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